[Global Times reporter Guo Yuandan Ma Qingyan Global Times Special Correspondent Ren Zhong] On the 20th, State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe had a phone call with US Secretary of Defense Austin at the request.
It has been nearly 21 months since the last phone call between the defense ministers of China and the United States was in August 2020 between Wei Fenghe and the Trump administration Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
Although the call on the 20th was not announced in advance, it was not surprising.
After all, the incident last year that the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Milley, secretly called the Chinese military’s top leaders twice, has refreshed people’s perception of the depth of exchanges between the U.S. and China.
The dialogue between the defense ministers of the two countries is one of the results of the video summit between the heads of China and the United States a month ago.
However, in the past period of time, the U.S. side has not stopped actions that violated President Biden's "four non-one unintentional" commitments, including targeted military exercises against China, close-in reconnaissance around China, and arms sales to Taiwan. .
"If the Taiwan issue is not handled properly, it will have a subversive impact on the relationship between the two countries." Wei Fenghe clearly stated China's solemn stance on the Taiwan issue in a phone call on the 20th, asking the US side to "stop military provocations at sea and not use it." The Ukraine issue has smeared, framed, threatened and put pressure on China.”
According to a Chinese press release, Austin said the United States adheres to the one-China policy.
The two sides should manage competition and risks in a responsible manner, and properly handle the difficulties facing the relationship between the two militaries.
Reiterates the "subversive" risk of interfering in the Taiwan Strait
According to a press release issued by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense at 8:33 p.m. on the 20th, Wei Fenghe also emphasized during the call that China and the United States should earnestly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, respect each other, coexist peacefully, and avoid confrontation. Unintentional" promises come true.
China hopes to establish a healthy and stable major-country relationship with the United States, and will also defend its national interests and dignity. The United States should not underestimate China's determination and capability.
The two militaries should enhance military mutual trust, strengthen dialogue and exchanges, manage and control risks and crises, and carry out practical cooperation to ensure the normal and stable development of military-to-military relations.
Wei Fenghe stressed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, which is a fact and status quo that no one can change, and said that "the Chinese military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity."
Austin said that the US side is willing to promote the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in the phone conversation, and will strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the military field with a frank and open attitude.
The two sides also exchanged views on maritime and air security issues and the situation in Ukraine.
Shortly after the Chinese side issued a press release, Pentagon Press Secretary Kirby released a statement from the meeting: "Secretary Austin spoke with Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe today as a follow-up to a recent call between the leaders of the two sides. Secretary Austin and General Wei discussed The U.S.-China defense relationship, regional security issues, and Russia’s unprovoked aggression in Ukraine.”
Chen Yixin, a professor at Taiwan's Tamkang University, said in an interview with a Global Times reporter on the evening of the 20th that in October last year, when Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken in Rome, he emphasized that the Taiwan issue is an issue between China and the United States. The most sensitive issue, once handled incorrectly, will cause "subversive and overall damage" to China-US relations.
The tone of the Chinese Defense Minister's speech to the US this time is consistent with this, showing that China has not made any concessions. While warning the US side, he is also warning the Tsai Ing-wen authorities to stop making troubles and provoke the mainland.
Song Zhongping, an expert on military issues, told the Global Times on the 20th, "A country's territorial integrity is a matter of right and wrong, and there must be no and no ambiguity. The PLA will safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with the Anti-Secession Law." , the PLA has the ability, confidence, and determination to safeguard the country's core interests from being violated."
In an interview with a Global Times reporter on the evening of the 20th, Zhu Feng, a professor at the School of International Relations at Nanjing University, said that the wording of China's position on the Taiwan issue was "rarely severe", which was aimed at the US's repeated manipulation of the Taiwan Strait issue and attacks on China. China must make a firm response to acts such as the "Taiwan card" and the strengthening of the "Indo-Pacific strategic legitimacy".
At the same time, at a critical moment when the Ukrainian military conflict could not be concluded, the position expressed by the Chinese Defense Minister in the phone call was "firm and sober".
China firmly opposes the Ukrainian issue to the point of confrontation, just as it opposes cross-strait relations to the point that China needs to use the final plan to defend the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Wei Fenghe's remarks on the United States are also a kind reminder to the United States that any continued manipulation of major security issues in the region in accordance with the unilateral values and interests of the United States will only lead to a greater crisis for the international community. "In this regard, the United States It takes a lot of reflection and awakening."
Austin pleads for calls 'for months'
Reuters reported on the evening of the 20th that the defense ministers of China and the United States had a "rare" call, and Wei Fenghe emphasized that the Chinese military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
The Associated Press said on the 20th that this is the first time Austin has talked with the Chinese defense minister in more than a year since he served as the US defense secretary, "breaking the deadlock of communication."
The call between the two sides lasted about 45 minutes, the report said.
U.S. officials see the communications standoff as increasingly dangerous amid concerns that Beijing could provide military support for Russia’s operations in Ukraine.
"This call was requested by Austin. For months, he has tried unsuccessfully to speak to the top Chinese military."
The Associated Press said on the 20th, according to an anonymous senior U.S. defense official, "In 2008, the Chinese and U.S. military established a secure telephone connection", but Austin did not expect the dialogue to make a major breakthrough on key issues.
Austin has called China a major "long-term challenge" for the U.S. military.
The U.S. official said Austin conveyed to the Chinese on the call about Biden’s “importance of managing the U.S.-China strategic competition,” including in the nuclear, space and cyber domains, as well as improving crisis communication between the two global powers.
Austin also expressed U.S. concerns to Wei Fenghe about the mainland’s military activities in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the East China Sea, as well as U.S. concerns about North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, according to the senior official.
The Associated Press said that since Biden took office, U.S.-China relations have become more tense on multiple levels.
The U.S. has repeatedly accused China over the Taiwan Strait and human rights issues, and U.S. officials have also expressed concern over signs that China is increasing the size of its nuclear arsenal, "even though it is still far smaller than the U.S.".
"This call is an important measure to implement the meeting between the leaders of China and the United States, and strive to ensure that the two sides do not fall into a military crisis, avoid falling into a cold war, and create conditions for a return to stable development." An unnamed Chinese analyst told the Global Times on the 20th. Said that this was a call between the top leaders of the defense departments of the two countries nearly a month after the call between the heads of China and the United States.
"Talking is better than no talk, late is better than never, contact is better than confrontation. Whether it is to reach a consensus or have a frank dialogue, it is a good thing that the two sides can sit down and talk and maintain communication."
Zhuo Hua, an expert on international issues at the School of International Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times that China-US relations are at a critical crossroads, and some regional hotspots may have spillover effects and lead to derivative crises. Anti-China is still not out of the woods. In this case, the defense ministers of China and the United States communicated through the permanent communication mechanism, which shows that the two militaries have the will to manage risks and stabilize the relationship between the two militaries.
A Chinese military expert told the Global Times that the US announcement was succinct and clear, indicating that the US played down the matter and did not want to highlight the strategic communication between the two militaries or the differences between the two militaries.
Sino-US military exchanges in recent years
On the evening of August 6, 2020, the phone call between Wei Fenghe and the then US Secretary of Defense Esper lasted for an hour and a half. The topics of confrontation mainly focused on the South China Sea, Taiwan and the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
In May 2021, the British "Financial Times" and other media broke the news that US Defense Secretary Austin requested three times to call Xu Qiliang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, but all of them were rejected by the Chinese military.
At the time, a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity told the Global Times that China refused because "the US Defense Secretary's request for dialogue with the level of the object is not equal, which exceeds the requirements of diplomatic etiquette."
In September last year, Woodward's new book "Dangerous" broke the news that the then chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Milley, had secretly called the Chinese military's top officials twice, because he was worried that Trump's defeat might lead to conflict with the Chinese military. War in China.
The book revealed that the first call was on October 30, 2020, 4 days before the US election day.
At that time, senior US military officials believed that Trump's offensive remarks against China had exacerbated tensions between the two countries, and that two US aircraft carrier fleets were conducting drills in the South China Sea, which may lead to "misunderstanding" by the Chinese side.
Therefore, Milley assured China on the phone, "The U.S. government is stable and the situation is improving. We will not attack you, nor will we take confrontational actions." Milley also said that if the United States does launch an attack, it will be warned in advance. Chinese side.
The second time was on January 8, 2021, two days after the riots on Capitol Hill in the United States. Milley tried to allay China's concerns about the political situation in the United States, saying that the United States is "100% stable and everything is fine. Democracy is just a little chaotic sometimes."